Building a Dam
by Alabaster Ink
Summary: Edmund Pevensie might not have been Mr. Beaver's favorite human, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to protect his future king with everything he had. No pairings.


Hey all! Just a little one-shot that came to my mind while I was watching LLW and I started wondering what happened to Mr. Beaver after Edmund leaves him on the cliff. I am currently sick with the flu so I have plenty of time to waste.

Please ignore any spelling or grammar mistakes. I'm not good with them on a healthy day, so right now I apologize for the extra issues.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything (except for the "I Love Edmund" t-shirt I'm wearing).

Enjoy!

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**Building a Dam**

**One-Shot**

To say that Edmund Pevensie was Mr. Beaver's favorite human would be a bit of an exaggeration. Oh to be sure, he liked the younger Son of Adam a lot more now than he did when they first met, but it would take a bit of time before the He-Beaver would actually seek the boy out for a spot of tea.

Still, that did not mean that he was going to let the boy die. Mr. Beaver liked him enough that he wasn't going to let that happen.

Such was the reason that when Peter told Edmund to run and get the girls out, the Beaver grabbed the younger's hand in order to help him do just that. While consciously, Mr. Beaver might have thought it was just because he wanted to follow Peter's orders, subconsciously he really didn't want Edmund getting hurt.

So, when Edmund told the Beaver in no uncertain terms to shut up and let him go (although it was much more eloquent than that, instead telling Mr. Beaver that Peter had yet to be King), it took a few moments for the Animal to actually register what the younger boy had just said. By time the words managed to make sense to the Beaver's battle muddled mind, it was too late for him to grab hold of the dark haired Son of Adam as the boy went rushing along the cliffs.

He was slightly confused though as to where the boy was going, but that confusion turned to horror when he saw what Edmund must have seen: the Witch. Her walk was calm and deliberate, as if knowing nothing could harm her, and her eyes were trained solely on Peter.

Mr. Beaver's heart stopped.

Then, just as quickly as it stopped, it started again, faster than it ever had been before. Without thinking even, the small Animal went down on all fours and just ran, making his way down the path Edmund had gone not a minute before. Everything became a blur and his beating heart got faster. He had to stop Edmund; he had to stop Edmund and warn Peter.

Narnia could not lose both Sons of Adam.

Dodging the arrows and swords, the He-Beaver made his way towards the edge of the rocks just in time to see his unofficial ward break the Witch's wand. Words can not describe the shock and awe the Animal felt as he saw the icy blue light erupt from the broken crystal. It was both beautiful and humbling at the same time, and the Beaver couldn't help but feel as if that one act had redeemed Edmund of any traitorous actions he had made.

But that moment of joy was suddenly crushed as the Witch stabbed the ten-year-old with the broken pieces of her wand. With a small gasp of pain, Edmund fell and Mr. Beaver's heart stopped again.

…_No_…

In the back of his mind, the Beaver thought he might have heard Peter scream out his brother's name, but truthfully the Animal really wasn't paying the world all that much attention. Edmund was hurt. Mr. Beaver had promised he wouldn't let Edmund get hurt.

Maybe now he was just as much a traitor to Narnia for letting his future king get injured as Edmund had been for siding with the Witch. The only difference he supposed was that the boy hadn't known Evil; Mr. Beaver did.

Frantically looking around for someone to help him, the Animal made eye contact with a stunned young Centaur that had also seen the transpiring events. His eyes were filled with horror and a deep sense of despair. Still, in that one moment, both creatures came to an understanding: if they couldn't protect Edmund before, they would protect him now.

They didn't know each others names, but for those few moments of protecting their future king from arrows and enemies that wished to finish him off, both creatures shared a sense of camaraderie. Even when they heard Aslan's roar from the distance, they kept at it, determined to protect the boy till the last.

It was only when the arrows stopped flying and the Fell Beasts stopped coming that both the Beaver and Centaur lowered their weapons (arrows and sword respectively). Yet still, they didn't leave their post.

Minutes of calm ticked by and soon both warriors (for they could be termed as such now after having protecting their prince from further harm) saw the flash of armor and the green of a skirt rushing up the hillside. Both retreated away, feeling as if it was only right to leave the family be in what could very well be their last moments together.

Out of the corner of their eyes they saw a black dwarf approach the boy they had just left and just as they were about to rush back out and stop him, a red arrow hit the creature in the chest, killing him instantly. Apparently, the boys weren't the only warriors in the family.

As the Beaver and the Centaur saw the three other children race to their fallen brother's side, both creatures gave each other a respectful nod. They had done their duty. They had protected their king.

And as the Centaur left to tend to his fellow soldiers, Mr. Beaver continued to watch his future kings and queens. He saw as little Lucy poured the drop of cordial into Edmund's mouth and he waited with baited breath for the boy to wake up.

For just a moment, he feared that it had been too late, but then he heard a cough and it was probably the most beautiful sound the He-Beaver had heard all day. Edmund would live.

Turning to give the four their privacy, the Beaver's eyes briefly met with Aslan's giant golden ones. There was gratefulness in those eyes, gratefulness and such a deep sense of love that Mr. Beaver's heart soared with happiness.

Everything would be all right now. Everything would be all right and maybe he could even have Edmund over to the dam for a spot of tea.

_Yes,_ he thought, _a very nice spot of tea.

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Well, there you have it! I hope you all enjoyed it and that it was something different. Please review, but don't flame! Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames don't help stories and authors get better.

Oh, and as for the Centaur, if you watch the movie and that one moment when Edmund falls, you'll see a centaur rear up on his hind legs. He's hard to miss and he's right next to a Minotaur.

Have a wonderful week!

BYE!

--TimeMage0955


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